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Party convention
A meeting of party delegates to vote on matters of policy and in some cases to select party candidates for public office.
Direct primary
Election in which voters choose party nominees.
Open primary
Primary election in which any voter, regardless of party, may vote.
Crossover voting
Voting by a member of one party for a candidate of another party.
Closed primary
Primary election in which only persons registered in the party holding the primary may vote.
Proportional representation
An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote.
Libertarian party
A minor party that believes in extremely limited government, calling for a free market system and expanded individual liberties.
Green party
A minor party dedicated to the environment, social justice, nonviolence, and the foreign policy of nonintervention.
Reform party
A minor party founded by Ross Perot in 1995 that focuses on national government reform, fiscal responsibility, and political accountability.
Realigning election
An election during periods of expanded suffrage and change in the economy and society that serves as a turning point in political alignment.
Divided government
Governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.
National party convention
A national meeting of delegates who assemble every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president and ratify the party platform.
Party registration
The act of declaring party affiliation, required by some states when registering to vote.
Party identification
An informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most individuals acquire in childhood.
Dealignment
Weakening of partisan preferences that points to a rejection of both major parties and a rise in the number of independents.
